Black Americans Betray Forefathers with use of the N-word.

(ThyBlackMan.com) When Samuel L. Jackson sat down with film critic Jake Hamilton to discuss Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained , Hamilton had a question that he wanted to ask Jackson relative to the n-word. But Jackson, who plays a Sambo, Uncle Tom prototype in the film, refused to answer the question unless Hamilton actually said the word “n**ger” in its full enunciation—and not a censored, more politically-correct, less offensive metaphor of the term. After Hamilton refused to say n**ger several times, Jackson retorted: “We’re not going to have this conversation unless you say it.” The nervous Jake Hamilton still refused to be coerced into saying the vile and sinister term. Jackson finally relented and asked: “You want to move on to another question?” A deeply-relieved Hamilton responded affirmatively.

Any self-respecting Black/African American who is proud of him/herself and their ancestry is incapable of seeing him or herself as a n**ga/n**ger, and would become appalled almost (if not certainly) to the point of physical contest if anyone referred to them as such. It is because this type of enlightened, self-dignified individual has transcended such an inferior state of mind, and now, instead, owns the rightful higher perception of self and toys with no one who approaches them at any other affirmed level of understanding. On the other hand, only an Uncle Tom sellout and/or ignorant inferior-minded individual lies fully relaxed and engulfed in the idea of being a n**ger/n**ga, and finds it humorous and acceptable to encourage others to the same.

Lisa Lampanelli, a white stand-up comedian and insult comic known for her racy and controversial style of comedy—same as Chris Rock and Katt Williams, recently tweeted on Twitter: “Me with my n**ga @Lenaham of @HBOGirls – I love this beyotch!!” (sic)

The Black community understandably so was outraged and all up in arms about Lisa’s blatant and contemptible act. But, in retrospect, Black America’s response is also hypocritical, profoundly irrational and infantile. Black America’s actions, which shall be referred to as the Jackson Syndrome, on one hand unsoundly gives everyone in the universe a pass to use the n-word, but then when someone outside the Black community uses the word, African Americans have the audacity to become indignant. Truly, something unnatural and abnormal exists when it comes to this scenario; this line of thinking is tantamount to an individual throwing a rock through someone’s window, and then when someone throws a rock back into that individual’s window, they cannot understand how something of that sort could have come about.

The stage has been set for some time. Just dating back to as recently as Michael “Kramer” Richards and Don Imus, to currently, nothing has changed. The alarm was sounded back then, but evidently Black America was not listening, failed to pay attention to the significance of these acts, or was simply indifferent to the matters. Black America must wake up and realize that even small pebbles—if thrown often enough, long enough, and with enough force—can have significant, irreversible effects. Situations that seem to be one-off’s and carry no impact at all will eventually be the exposed Achilles tendon that brings down the black community once and for all.

Black/African Americans continually refuse to hold one another accountable for their own actions—thinking nothing of always pulling a Jackson Syndrome, and continually come up with something asinine to support use of the n-word. They go so far as to say that it’s okay or acceptable for blacks to use the n-word, unacceptable for non-blacks to use it, but then all at the same time encourage others to use it ANYWAY through their own use of the term in daily interactions, music lyrics and other forms of entertainment. If someone was to create a situation comedy based on the actions of Black America and its use of the n-word, it would make the all-time ding-a-ling list.

This is the 21st century but yet racism still exists, and it seems as though Black/African American proponents of the n-word insist on feeding the flames of racism by promoting, marketing and commercializing the term. Truth be told, their use of the n-word keeps the hate, inferior-superior mindset distinction, and inequality and racial disrespect at the forefront of everyone’s minds that the term long ago was created to represent. Recently, a white passenger on board a Delta Airline flight was annoyed by a crying black child sitting next to him on his mother’s lap. The irate passenger had the unmitigated gaul to reach over and slap the child in the face, calling the child a n**ger in the process.

Everything about the passenger’s actions was unacceptable, but he did it because he felt he had the right to do so. This proves the point that so long as the Black community continually disrespects itself, others will continue to view the collective black community as inferior and will handle the group of people as insignificant, non-humans they can treat any way they see fit at will…that idea of careless treatment sounds a lot like the real definition of a “n**ga”. The word n**ger/n**ga is linked to a racist past and that is NEVER going to change. To entertain the ridiculous idea that the context of this word can be changed—let alone the desire to want to even try—is ludicrous and asinine at its best. The context of its history is going to forever remain intact.

Many twisted and irrational arguments have been advanced in a feeble attempt to justify use of the n-word. One of which is that those who fight against its use live in the past and are unable to let go of it, while proponents of the term say they have freed themselves from the past and given the n-word a new meaning. The truth of the matter is those proponents of the term will go to any length to cover up their act of ignorance for their use of the vile word. Their justifications for use of the term shows that they are in DENIAL about all that took place relative to the sinister baggage that comes along with this word. If any argument can be made, it should be that proponents of the term are mentally incapacitated and too inertia to overcome their use of it.

Black America’s present day use of the n-word is symbolic of an 18th century slave mentality and has no place in this 21st century for liberated-minded people. Descendants of those victimized and dehumanized by this pejorative term who want to keep this word alive in this 21st century by embracing it are committing blasphemy to the sacred memories, struggles and sacrifices of their forefathers.

As a GROUP, the non-use of the n-word should be a no-brainer. Black/African Americans should ALL be on the same page about this because, collectively, whenever that word is openly used by any person of color, it serves as a reflection on the entire race of people. No matter whose mouth—black or non-black—the n-word idiom flows from, nothing cerebral, honorable, dignified, prideful or self-respectful exists from being submissive to and tolerant of its use.

While many in the Black community work to try to become a once-again united, self-respecting race of people with a positive perception and conviction of self within and without the community, others have sold out at the expense of the collective group. As this internal conflict wages within Black America, slick-teethed businessmen like Quentin Tarantino are laughing all the way to the bank with his highest grossed money-making movie ever. Offering a very veiled perception of slave life and a million and one more ways to allow the n-word term to roll off one’s lips, Black America was left with a feel good moment about a make believe Django’s prowess who rides off in the sunset with his woman after ethereally shooting up a bunch of white folks. Where was the real homage paid to the Black/African American and his survival of a gargantuan struggle?

Taking its cue from the music industry’s global promotion, marketing and commercializing of the n-word, the door is now open for more such films to be made once again using Black America as sacrificial pawns and all with Black America’s approval. Black/African American forefathers have to be rolling over in their graves with utter disgust at the behavior of their descendants.

Staff Writer; H. Lewis Smith

This talented brother is the founder and president of UVCC, the United Voices for a Common Cause, Inc. ( http://www.theunitedvoices.com ); and author of “Bury that Sucka: A Scandalous Love Affair with the N-Word“.

Comments

Just a thought for the human who said “at least whitey fights it’s own battles”

I guess if you pick the fight>>>pick the participants>>pick the tools of war>>>the place of war>>>and make sure you are always hidden behind darkness>>tools of destruction>>>and ignorance…you can rest in your position of “taking care of yaself”…

It is unfortunate that men and women such as Samuel L. Jackson embrace the “N” word with open arms and no disdain what-so-ever. To say that he is a modern day Steppin Fetchet however does not totally explain he and others who emrace the use of the “N” word. For one thing the music and film industries have by rewarding those that use it encouraged its usage by rewarding those who were Black and dared to do with opportunities for riches and fame. The old lead the donkey by the carrot stick trick.

In 1995, after I returned from the Million Man March I became conscious. I never had been a user of the “N” word. As a child growing up in Los Angeles that word was banned in my house. The kids would use it though and I heard it so often that I began to accept its use by others as a way of life. I may have even used it on sometimes by myself. The point being that I became conscious after attending the Million Man March and I realized that using the “N” word was a bad thing for African descended people. I felt so strongly about it that I went into my own meager coffers and wrote, directed and produced a PSA against its use, “Respect the Sacrifices of Your Ancestors – Don’t Use the “N” Word”. At the time rap groups and movies were marketing the “N” word to the world with glee and wreaping great financial benefit for doing so. This little PSA was about all that existed in the marketplace in defiance of the use of that word.

man,am i glad i’m not on a collar like the blacks are and treated differantly because of who i am.dont say the goverment censored n-word or whity gos to jail for life.thank god im not a black person on a goverment or state leash to be lead around like a dog.at least whites fight thier own battles without goverment intervention,especialy when it comes to words.to be black is to be a society run intiny.id rather live free and be able to say what i want without goverment and state reform for bad words.unlike the black community that needs goverment intervention because they cant do for themselves.

Eric Wattree – Marcus Vessey,
A horse can be led to the water trough but it can’t be forced to drink. The fact of the matter is our forefathers have been thrown under the bus and yet you two gentleman seem to can care less. The issue here is about more than just a word it is about Black America’s [state of mind] of which the n-word serves as a psychological link to.

Yes, Eric I’ve been at this for several years and since then I’ve seen some encouraging signs of how our people are slowly but surely beginning to wake up.

It is incredible how there are those amongst us who encourage use of the n-word and this is supposed to be acceptable; lead a campaign against use of the term and all hell breaks loose. Why is that?

Consider this scenario: if one’s immediate family member was being bludgeon to death with a hammer by an assailant, would that individual start wearing the symbol of a hammer in honor or remembrance of that person’s ruthlessly murdered family member? Of course not, fore it symbolizes the savage and barbaric—and likely senseless— killing of that individual’s kinship.

Ironically enough, however, if one was programmed and conditioned over a period of 300 years to wear that hammer as a symbol, many would as that is what they have been taught within and without the community. This scenario is analogous to the behavior Blacks model today with their use of the n-word.
The n-word is the HAMMER associated with a brutal social system that denied Black Americans their God-given humanity. The word n**ger/n**ga has serious implications in American history as a method of dehumanizing, categorizing, stereotyping, insulting, and oppressing black people. For many African-American ancestors, it was the last word they heard before they were senselessly hung or burned to death. Millions of Black/African Americans—men, women, AND children—were beaten, raped, castrated and/or murdered; and being categorized as the n-word (n**ga/n**ger), that sanctioned such actions.

And this is how we acknowledge their precious memories…embracing the very HAMMER that dehumanized them. There is something terribly wrong with such a sick mindset.

Johann Wolfgang von Gothe (1749-1832) once said that “None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.”

You can prove just how free you really are by honoring the precious memories of your forefathers and stop supporting use of the incorrigible n-word (n**ga). Anything less is inexcusable and must be looked upon as an abominable and blasphemous act

“So the key to healthy self-esteem is not to dwell on trying to prove what you’re not, but to in vest in what you are. In short, excellence in the best revenge.” – Eric Wattree

Beautifully put.

H. Lewis – The biggest problem that I have with your argument and post not previously detailed is the fact that you make everything a ZERO SUM or ALL OR NOTHING game.

For example, in your last direct response to me you said, “No sense of racial pride, dignity, honor or self-respect is exhibited by the Black Americans who advocate use of the n-word.”

Again, a zero sum game…NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Black American who advocates the use of the n-word is showing any of those things (pride, dignity, etc.).

You create an irrational position based upon a narrow vision of how one interprets the word.

As I mentioned before about linguistics. The meanings of words are not objective nor are they static. Words are mutable, they change with time, with culture, and with social influences.

Linguistically, words are symbols for ideas and concepts that only have value to the degree in which they convey a shared meaning between two or more people. For example, if Nigga in Chinese was a term for a rose would you be offended if you heard that word by a Chinese florist talking to a client? No, because intuitively you recognize that the ‘sound’ of the letters is not reflective of the content that the letters convey.

So from a linguistics perspective, we give value to words, and we confer shared meaning to the sounds that words make so that we can thereby communicate. If right now you and I agreed that the word bobbledencrom meant Black unity, then that word would now mean Black unity to us.

All of that to say that nigga is an idiomatic expression that is not static nor necessarily reflective of a negative self-concept of Black people who use it. This is how the term culturally evolved and it should be viewed as that, and not in the reductionistic ALL OR NOTHING reflection of Black consciousness and self esteem you suggest it is.

Well, let me go directly to the issue. WE HAVE FAR TOO MANY SERIOUS ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO BE ADDRESSING IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY TO BE OBSSESSING OVER A WORD. It’s not only a distraction, and gross waste of time, but you’re not going to change people’s vocabulary anyway, in spite of all your efforts. You know what kind of response you’re going to get from people who use the word? – “What is that nigga talkin’ about?” Then they’re gonna fall out laughing. So the only people you’re getting through to are people of like mind – in short, you’re preaching to the choir.
.
You’ve been on this crusade for the five or six years I’ve known you, and just as many people are calling each other niggas as the day I met you. So it seems to me that you would be asking yourself, “What other areas of the Black experience could I be lending my considerable talents to that would be more productively fruitful?” Because the fact is, you’re spitting into a hurricane here when you should be building barriers. You’re trying to treat the soar instead of the cancer that’s causing it.

Eric,
Your comments are interesting, but what’s really at issue here has nothing to do with your given name of “Wattree” nor is the issue about racism, as your total premise seems to be centered around. I understand the point you are trying to make relative to the name “Wattree”, however, that would be a subject for another time, the only name that is at issue here is the name n**ga and Black/African Americans use of it.

Insofar, as non-blacks use of the term that too is a matter all unto itself, and is not the topic that’s being dealt with here. If you wish to address the issues as outlined in my message to you and Marcus Vessey as it pertains to the n-word (n**ga) and Black/African Americans bondage to the term it would put us back on track.

“A truly free person would never want to wear the name given to him by someone who enslaved him.”

That’s what’s called a factoid – a lie that’s been told so often that it’s accepted as true. I’m a free as they come, yet, I don’t have no problem whatsoever with the last name “Wattree,” even though I know that it was given to my family by slave owners. The reason for that is I love who I am, I’m quite comfortable with who I am, and the slavery in my history is what goes into making me who I am. You see, every experience in life, including cultural experiences, is a source of knowledge. So the slavery – and all of the adversity in my life that’s attendant to the Black experience – makes me more, not less. So I take great pride in everything my people have endured.

So I wear my slave name as a badge of honor. It honors what my family has been through, and it also honors the blood, sweat, and tears of the slaves whose sacrifices are responsible for my being here today. So if a White man calls me a nigga it gives me an opportunity to strike a blow for all the slaves in my past by dragging his ass through the mud. After one such experience I followed up by asking the racist, “Now, tell me, how does it feel to now you’re intellectually inferior to a nigga?” I couldn’t have made him feel worse if I had shot him.

So the key to healthy self-esteem is not to dwell on trying to prove what you’re not, but to in vest in what you are. In short, excellence in the best revenge. That’s what racists – both black and white racists – hate President Obama. He is obviously so far superior to them that his very presence represents a pie in the face of their delusions of grandeur. Achieving that kind of excellence is what our intellectual energies should be directed towards. Our energies shouldn’t be wasted on trying to prove to fools that we’re not inferior, but rather, invested in making yourself your own hero. You should even be interested in what fools who were beneath you called you 200 years ago:

A SLAVES PRAYER

I was stole from Eden, an innocent soul,
crossed seas and centuries, chained and cold;
My mother was raped and beaten to death,
my daddy was sold, and my sister is kept.
How they praise God and brag dat they free,
and sing songs about freedom, ‘din look upon me?

I was chained to ‘dis land, ‘dis “Land of the free,”
by people with a God, who sho must can’t see.
But a change is a comin’, Tho I won’t no mo be,
but when it get here, Dear Lord,
please let my soul see.
*

I NOW STAND FIRM

I Now stand firm. My dedication to the power of knowledge is the platform upon which my podium rests. I stand firm, strong, and now free–free of anger, free of self-delusion, free of the folly of empty vanity, and free of the pernicious bane of meaningless pride without substance.

I now stand free to look upon the eyes of other men, reflecting dignity over sorrow, and accomplishment over pain; I stand with a burning passion, fueled by the very flame that forged ancestral shackles, with a deep sense of pride, and a pride that flows deep.

I now stand erect! The steel that once degraded my father, that chained him in bondage to this bitter Earth, now reinforce my character, making me more, rather than less; and the blood and sweat that once drenched his brow, and oozed from the yoke around his neck, now rage with resolve and a sense of purpose, and tremble with passion, within my burning breast.

I now stand as a new being–-neither simply African, nor simply American, but a hybrid forced to transcend the sum of my parts; no longer simply African, since being torn away from the African motherland to suffer and toil in the fields of America, and more than simply American, after being forced to be more than simply American, Just to survive within the bowels of this prosperous land.

Thus, I stand now armed—-armed with the wisdom of deprivation, the courage of my conviction, and a deep conviction of my courage; and fortified–with the confidence of a survivor, the empowerment of knowledge, and a ravishing hunger for greatness.

I now stand the product of love, struggle, and sacrifice; a witness to man’s inhumanity to man, and a monument to the hopes and dreams of a million slaves. I stand embraced by my creator, as God now smiles upon my people.

Eric, my friend its good go see you weighing in on the merits of the use of the n-word (N**ga). We pretty much share the same philosophies on matters all accept the ambiguous n-word. You imply that I hate the word, no that isn’t entirely true, what I hate is to see and hear Black/African Americans voluntarily apply the pejorative term to themselves as if they are completely incapable of thinking for themselves, after all the term didn’t originate amongst them. I say them because I and many others like me do not associate ourselves or members of our race with the contemptible term.

A truly free person would never want to wear the name given to him by someone who enslaved him, and that bears repeating…A TRULY FREE PERSON would never want to wear the name given to him by someone who enslaved him especially a moniker such as the n-word and all the baggage that comes along with it.

So why on earth would I search for some pseudo-intellectual reason to refer to myself as such, unless I’m still mentally enslaved?

You have always been given permission and freedom to refer to one another with the N-word. However, freedom is being able to FREE yourself from the word not ADHERE to it.

The use of the N-word is a passively slick form of psychological, social, mental, and spiritual abuse. It’s unfathomable, the number of people who have been desensitized and have become immune to hearing and saying the N-word as if it is the normal thing to do – not good at all.

Slaves were descendants of those responsible for arts, science and use of speech and the creation of tremendous civilizations, the greatest and most developed civilizations, occupied highest pinnacle of human greatness. So how did the Black race go from being kings and queens to being n**gas (sub-human and 3/5 of a being.)?

Whether or not you accept any of the information given to you, you must realize that since being brought in chains to America before you were humanized, you were categorized…categorized as a n**ga/n**ger, with a specific purpose in mind.

Other than the Black/African American no other racial groups are encouraged and expected to accept base commonalities as a lifestyle. Wake-up my brothers!!

You are quite right about the use of the N word by many of our people. Some have even gone so far as to claim to have traced its use back to Egypt where it was used with pride. Some folk are just not getting it at all. My moment came to me when I returned from the Million Man March. When there that word did not ever enter the vocabulary of any Black man I encountered and I was doing many interviews for a documentary on the march. Once I returned home it hit me like a ton of bricks. I guess I wasn’t really conscious until that moment in time. I never was one to use the N word but it never bothered me when others used it until I returned from the Million Man March. I had an epiphany, I guess. I remember getting on a bus and hearing some high school children using the N word like it was the right thing to do. It bothered me so bad that I got my own money together and shot a “DON’T USE THE N-WORD” PSA. and vowed to never utter that word or tolerate its use in my presence by relatives and friends without speaking out on it ever again. The link to that PSA which was shot 16 years ago is below:

While it’s highly unusual, I find myself in the same camp with Marcus on this issue.

While we’re good friends, I’ve suggested to you repeatedly over the years that with the barrage of issues negatively impacting the Black community, your single-minded fixation on something as superficial as a word is counterproductive at best, and absolutely insane at worst.

The vocabulary that we tend to use is not the problem; the real problem is the lack of education that leads us to embrace the vocabulary that we use. So your focus shouldn’t be on a word, but rather, the overall education of our people.

In addition, as a writer, I consider words as the tools of my trade, so there’s no such thing as a “good” word or a “bad” word, any more than a plumber views his wrenches as good ones and bad ones. Any wrench that helps him to do his job is a good wrench. Likewise, any word that helps me to express my meaning is a good word. Thus, if I’m discussing Clarence Thomas, the word nigga can come in quite handy. So I’m not likely to discard it from my vocabulary any time soon.

Finally, by letting it be known how much you hate the word, you’re giving a useful weapon to your enemies, which makes it much more likely that the word will be used against you. Personally, I don’t associate myself with the word, so if I’m among a group of White folks and someone shouts “nigga!”, I’m gonna look around to see what one looks like.

You see, I don’t allow others to define my terms. Thus, for me, a nigga is any person of any race, creed, or color, who takes pride in their ignorance. So based on the way I view the world – and after all, it is my view of the world that important – most of the niggas I know are in the Tea Party – do you hear me, Sarah?

“Affectionate” users of the n-word claim that the manner in which they use the term defuses any of the heinous roots attached to the word. However, these same African Americans conveniently overlook the paradoxical circumstances when they also use the word derogatorily in a fit of rage; at these moments, the TRUE sub-conscious understanding and definition of the word rises to the surface, with all of its hate, degradation, and disrespect attached in full blossom. By continually referring to self and one another as “n**ger”, blacks are keeping the dream of the SLAVE mentality alive and oppressing their own people.

Indeed, we live in a nation that does not value all people as humans—a nation where many still look upon Blacks as nothing more than n**gers; and ironically enough, many African Americans look upon themselves in the same light.

No sense of racial pride, dignity, honor or self-respect is exhibited by the Black Americans who advocate use of the n-word. They fail to understand the link between the social, political and economic problems of the Black community—which stem from the root cause: MENTAL ENSLAVEMENT—and this infamous word.

It wasn’t enough to strip African-American ascendants from their dear Motherland to drop them off in a hell on earth, involuntarily toiling the land of white slave masters. No, there existed another more enduring, more heinous and devious agenda: To DESTROY the minds of a race of people, rob them of their identity, and mold their ways of thinking and acting into the oppressed image the then America desired. This objective was successfully accomplished in a most unconscionable, malicious, methodical and unimaginable way. And now, African Americans have unconsciously fed into and are carrying out the plight, thus, making racists’ jobs a lot easier!

Blacks were INDOCTRINATED to accept the label of being a n**ger or subhuman, an undermining strategy to put blacks in their so-called place. Though the slaves were freed in 1865, 143 years later, many African Americans are still mentally enslaved through the use of this word. They internalized the idiom, and would simply be lost without it; for some people, old habits are hard to break.

Like I said to you before there is absolutely nothing MINOR about being mentally enslaved and the n-word (n**ga) serves as a psychological conduit to a self-generating, self-refueling slave mentality.

However, there is one simple way to resolve the n-word issue, if you are correct in your analysis that use of the n-word is the least of our concerns and the use of it is irrelevant…then why continue to use it? Lets just agree that come March 31, 2013 Black America will forever refrain from using the n-word, based on what you are saying this should be no problem at all. After all it should be a very easy task to just simply walk away from the pejorative term.

IF you had made an argument that you recommended we stop using the term nigga because of the social confusion and general internal conflict that it causes I would be much more willing to listen to that argument. Instead you attempting to reduce a complex psychological phenomena down to the use of one idiomatic express.

I am Black and I do more work in the Black community than most. In fact, I have been doing work across dimensions social, cultural, economic for over 22 years of my soon to be 40 year old life. So let me clarify a few points.

1. To relegate the sum total of a man’s race consciousness to the utilization of an idiomatic expression is quite simplistic and unsophisticated and unreflective of our psychology. We are more complex than that as humans and definitely more complex than that as Black folks.

2. The concept of a slave mentality is cliched and undefined. Many of the most conscious brothas I know use the term nigga. If you have truly studies linguistics we wouldn’t even be having this debate. You are attempting to correlate something that isn’t a direct correlation and hence the fundamental problem I have with the nature of your post.

3. As a PRO-BLACK PRAGMATIST, we have to put things in the appropriate order of our most relevant needs. So even if I agreed with your assertion that the term nigga is reflective of the sum total of one’s race consciousness, it still would be a secondary issue to address in relation to our condition. OUR PRIORITY 1 issue should be about economic empowerment and self-determinism. That is the foundation that positions us to address our other needs.

I agree that there is a mentality fostered by living under white supremacy that seeks to conform to the false ideals of white supremacy, but narrow it down into the utilization of term nigga is not logical nor in my opinion an appropriate treatment of the topic.

To make a long story short, there is nothing minor about having an 18th century slave mentality, which is the mindset of those who look in the mirror and see themselves, their race, family, relative and friends as the n-word a n**ga. Until you first find the mental strength to liberate yourself from a slave mentality none of the other issues that you allude to will never, ever be resolved. You cannot build a home without first building a foundation and in the case of Black/African Americans the foundation is first having a healthy and liberated mind before progress relative to other issues can be attained.

My jaw dropped when I learned in this article that the latest movie of Tarantino brought more money than Pulp Fiction!!! What does that say about us that a White producer in 2012 can make a racist movie and make big bucks out of us. It would be flop if the movie was about Jews with the word kike used many times. Jews are respected worldwide and people would be offended but I guess for rednecks it is Okay to use offensive terms about Blacks!!!

Marcus Vessey, in the event that you truly are a Black person, the thing is WE have many issues to affront. All of the negative issues pertaining to the well being of our existence are significant and need to be confronted simultaneously to the best of our ability. Words are significant in communication, they are normally of a positive, negative or neutral nature. Surely you know the nature of the N word Ni**a/Ni**er. Your name makes me think of a historical brother named Denmark Vessey, who’s name did he have and who’s name do most Black people of American nationality have? In closing, who inflicted the term Ni**a/Ni**er upon Black people during the Black Holocaust of CHATTEL SLAVERY? When dealing with humankind, psychology ALWAYS come into play. We have endured the Physical Chains of Slavery, now WE have to over come the Psychological Chains of CHATTEL SLAVERY.

H. Lewis Smith…this is an extremely poor argument, let’s focus on one of your statements in particular – “Any self-respecting Black/African American who is proud of him/herself and their ancestry is incapable of seeing him or herself as a n**ga/n**ger, and would become appalled almost (if not certainly) to the point of physical contest if anyone referred to them as such. It is because this type of enlightened, self-dignified individual has transcended such an inferior state of mind, and now, instead, owns the rightful higher perception of self and toys with no one who approaches them at any other affirmed level of understanding. On the other hand, only an Uncle Tom sellout and/or ignorant inferior-minded individual lies fully relaxed and engulfed in the idea of being a n**ger/n**ga, and finds it humorous and acceptable to encourage others to the same.”

You are guilty of the logical fallacy of creating the false either/or dichotomy…IF you use Nigga in any of its variation you are a sellout and IF you don’t you are enlightened.

To narrow doing the nature of a whole man’s character in respect to their race and racial identity based upon the use of an idiomatic expression is nothing other than BUFFOONERY.

The utilization of a linguistic expression based upon a group defined view of the term does not necessarily have any bearing on anything that person may do in regard to the upliftment or respect they have for their race.

I hear this argument pop up all the time, the nigga argument. My response is this, we have a fractured Black economic structure, mass incarceration, tremendous health disparities and other issues and folks really want to rally around stopping the use of the term nigga?

It is irrational and backwards to major on the minor. Things need to be put in perspective in how we achieve our evolution, and I submit focusing on the use of that particular word is a waste of energy and non-productive in supporting our evolution as a people in America.

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